O, Danny Boyle
39-year-old defenseman earns minutes driving power-play unit
REGARDING the Rangers:
1. Dan Boyle will not be coming out of the lineup when Dan Girardi and Kevin Klein return to active duty, most likely for Monday’s match in Nashville — nor should he.
Operating from his offside office in the left circle, Boyle has become the engine of the first powerplay unit that while maddeningly erratic, has been productive in critical situations over the last month, accounting for Tuesday’s overtime gamewinner against the Ducks, in addition to two late thirdperiod, gametying, 6on4 scores with the goaltender pulled for the extra attacker; two gameopening goals; and one late secondperiod goahead goal.
Indeed, Boyle has not only been on for nine of the Rangers’ 10 powerplay goals since Nov. 30 (10/41, 24.4 (percent), but he has recorded six points (2 goals, 4 assists) with the manadvantage over that stretch.
Alain Vigneault has a primary goto unit that features Boyle (on for 9 in 39:04, for 1 every 4:20); Ryan McDonagh (7/34:07/4:54); Mats Zuccarello (9/36:10/4:01); Derick Brassard (9/37:03/4:09); and Rick Nash (8/34:03/4:18).
Of course, the coach has no second unit of which to speak, not at this point anyway, with Derek Stepan having been back for only three games following his extended absence. The numbers are Christmassweater ugly: Keith Yandle (3/28:13/9:24); J.T. Miller (2/19:17/9:38); Chris Kreider (2/29:13/14:36); Stepan (0/8:36); Oscar Lindberg (0/18:01); and Kevin Hayes (0/26:06).
Boyle still has his defensivezone warts, but he is engaging with conviction in netfront battles and appears to have adopted a simpleisbetter approach to his own end. His coverage issues don’t stand out in a defense corps that has had more trouble reading than a prekindergarten class.
Vigneault could dress seven defensemen at the expense of a 12th forward, but that’s not likely. It would be unfair to expect Boyle (or any 39yearold) to become a powerplay specialist who might play under 10 minutes per game. It is way too late in Boyle’s career to have him become a swing forward, filling in at wing on the fourth line, a la Jason Strudwick. Presuming Girardi, Klein and Boyle are in on the right side, Dylan McIlrath is out, even though the rookie’s play merits better than an assignment to street clothes. But if Vigneault is smart, he will recognize it is unrealistic for Girardi and Boyle to play every night if the object is to play into the middle of June, as it still is. The coach didn’t do it at the
start, but bet ter late than never: a rotation on the right side featuring Girardi, Boyle and McIlrath, ensuring the veterans remain fresh and that the freshman gets at least a portion of the playing time he earned with his performance at both ends of the rink in playing 13 of the last 14 games.
And it should go without writing, but ice time (and a lineup spot) must be earned, regardless of the name and number on the back of the jersey.
2. So Yandle’s powerplay time has diminished, and No. 93 does not kill penalties. Fact: Brady Skjei got more penaltykill time in his two games (4:21), and Chris Summers got more in his three games (3:29) than Yandle has all season (1:17).
And McIlrath, the partner with whom Yandle works best at even strength, likely is coming out of the lineup.
So, will — or probably more to the point, when will — the Blueshirts begin to dangle Yandle, a pending unrestricted free agent, in an attempt to acquire a critically needed topsix winger to join Stepan’s unit?
3. Over the last 15 games, with Stepan’s injury and the Tanner GlassJarret Stoll exchange the only lineup variables up front, Vigneault concocted 31 different gameopening line combinations, including the inscrutable GlassHayesZuccarello unit that faced the Capitals on Sunday.
Talk about concoctions — and the need for some stability.
4. Brassard, Zuccarello and Nash, to a large extent, played with swagger against the Ducks, a quality that’s gone missing among the Rangers over the last month. That is understandable, but the Blueshirts’ aura of confidence has been an important ingredient to their success the last two seasons. They won’t get anywhere without it.
5. The challenge for Henrik Lundqvist, who reached the sky the first six weeks of the season by employing a more aggressive, instinctive style, is not to overcorrect the technique in the wake of the last month’s troubles.
“There’s a difference between being aggressive and challenging and being overaggressive and overchallenging,” Lundqvist said after Tuesday’s victory. “I have to find [the happy medium]. When I’m being aggressive against those big chances in front, it’s not so much where I stop, but that I have to stop [and be set].
“The most important thing for me is my head, my focus, reading the game,” he said. “Sometimes you have to take a step back, but I have to trust my instincts. And that’s what I’m going to do.”